The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-27
And Will Make Recommendations Intended
to Bring About Needed Changes-A Re-
port That Will Be of Public Interest.
Congressman Bynam Talks Briefly on
Two Phases Of the Financial Question.
Mrs. Cleveland Seriously Oyertaxed by the
Fatigue and Worry of Her Recent Western
Trip-Bob Ingersoll as a Financier.
CoCKRELL,s DISCOVERIES.

Favoritism in the Departmental Report
That Will Possess Features of Interest.
Special to the Indiarapolis journal
WASHINGTON, Nov Ex-senator Cockrelrs in
vestieating committee have discovered, among
other things which they think could be changed
to the advantage of the government service in
the departments, that there are q number Of
clerks employed in doing the work for which
copyists are provided by the appropriation bill.
Some of these are drawing salaries of 81, 200 and
and s., 600 for simply copying into lar e letter
books drafts OF letters and communication g.
This work ought to be done by copyists, whose
pay is fixed at 5000, and the fact that the higher
priced clerks are engaged on the work shows. to
the mind of the committee. that there is a good
deal oe favoritism shown. The committee pro-
pose to dispense altogether with the system Of
copying in handwriting into record books the
letters which it is desirable keep on file, and
have the work done the type writer with in
delible ink. thereby insuring accuracy, indel-
bility and at the same time saving space. Ex-
periments have been made in the War Depart
ment, on various kinds of type writer ribbon. in
order TO test the durability OF the ink, and one
or two have been found which will. it is expected,
answer the purpose. Accuracy is, of course,
necessity in these records, but 1t would appear
from what Senator Cockrell told your CORE
spondent that that essential feature has not been
obtained under the system in use at present
In one instance he particularly recalled. where
a letter had been copied" by clerk who was
drawing salary OF 81, 200 for his services. there
were many mistakes that it was necessary to
get the original letter before it could be under
stood There are in the Treasury Department
alone fifty eight of these copyists, some of them
really SUCH aud the others clerks detailed
through favoritism to do that sort of work.
This number was found by the committee. al
though they were told there were only eighteen
doing that work in the department when they
went to inquire. The effect of the change con-
templated by the committee will be to material
ly reduce the salary list of several Offices and il
order to do away with favoritism it is proposed
to insert IN the appropriation bill q specific
statement showing how much $4,000 Is to be
paid TO those doing copying work.
The report of the committee will not be the
voluminous affair IL is expected to be- If all the
matter furnished by the different departments
were to be included in it, it would scarcely ba
contained in a dozen large volumes. But Sena-
tor Cockrell the chairman, has been using his
blue editorial pencil pretty freely has thrown
ont long tables of useless figures. names of
clerks and old pamphlet publications., and the
result is compact report of two moderate
sized volumes presenting the matter contained
in a readable aud interesting form. 1t will con-
tain thing which no blue book ever pub
lished by this government could give, and that
is statement as nearly correct as can be had OF
the number of people throughout the United
the governments in capacity another.
This portion of the report viii be particularly
interesting, and viii also create something of